Smoky Sweet Potato, Lentil, and Spinach Stew

A beach vacation is one of the best things in life. Last weekend I went on a lovely trip to Port Aransus, TX with my family, who participated in a relay marathon called Beach to Bay. I napped while they ran in the heat and humidity.

I like my way better.

But as fun as going away for a few days can be, it can be so hard to eat healthy in an unfamiliar place. Especially when fried seafood abounds. So when I got home, I couldn’t even look at a potato chip. Or think about a burger. All I wanted was something healthy and packed with as many nutrients as possible to press the “reset” button on my digestive system.

It’s vegan (if you use vegetable broth), it’s packed FULL of fiber, and it has tons of healthy nutrients from three nutritional powerhouses: sweet potatoes, lentils, and spinach.

And the taste! Don’t let the healthiness of this meal fool you. It. Tastes. AMAZING. A secret ingredient is added at the end that makes it tangy and delicious- red wine vinegar. Seriously- don’t knock it ’till you try it! It has the same affect as adding lemon or lime juice to a recipe- it doesn’t taste vinegary, but it brightens up the whole dish. I got that trick from Greek Lentil Soup(also delicious).

Between the vinegar, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic, and onions… mmm, mmm. This stew is hearty, healthy, and oh so tasty.

And we haven’t even gotten to the BEST PART yet! This recipe makes a ton for almost no money. I mean a ton. It will easily serve 10-12 people, or you can divide it into portions for easy freezer meals. Lentils and sweet potatoes are a dime a dozen, so you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck.

So there you are, folks. Delicious, cheap, and EXTREMELY healthy. Oh, and wicked easy to make (you can also make it in your slow cooker- see notes in recipe below). You’re welcome.

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Comments

Does this call for canned or dried lentils? If I used dried do I need to soak overnight first? I’ve never cooked with lentils before but have been looking fora good recipe to try them. This looks perfect. Thanks!

This calls for dried lentils. You can soak them if you want- if you do that, use a little less broth. I usually do soak mine but I was pressed for time when I made this recipe, so I skipped it, and it came out fine!

With a slow cooker, I don’t think it’s necessary to soak the lentils, but whenever you use dried beans, lentils or any other dried legume, you need to sort through them. According to America’s Test Kitchen, we’re better off buying canned beans and lentils, because the sorting, and grading is done for us. Dried beans, lentils and other dried “things” are not as well regulated, so you’re going to find stones, and other objects (some of them are edible) in the sack. Since, according to them, there is no nutritional (or otherwise) difference between the dried product and the canned product, (except for the time involved). So buy the canned product if if affordable. It’s more convenient and cleaner.

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Hi, I'm Elizabeth! I create easy, real food recipes for busy people. I'm a former high school art teacher from New England, now full time food blogger near Austin, TX, where I live with my hubby and two baby girls, Zoey and Eleanor. Learn more!

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Hi, I'm Elizabeth! I create easy, real food recipes for busy people. I'm a former HS art teacher, now full time food blogger. I live near Austin, TX with my hubby and two baby girls. learn more!

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